Suns 2024-2025 Season Discussions

Cheesebeef

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Posts
91,459
Reaction score
68,706
According to Sam Quinn, at the moment, the Suns are in the fighting for a play-in group.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media
Hard to argue with that unless Bradley Beal somehow looks like All-NBA Bradley Beal and he and KD stays healthy all season.

Beal playing like a superstar is the only way this team rises into anything coming close to contention.
 

JCSunsfan

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 24, 2002
Posts
22,114
Reaction score
6,547
Hard to argue with that unless Bradley Beal somehow looks like All-NBA Bradley Beal and he and KD stays healthy all season.

Beal playing like a superstar is the only way this team rises into anything coming close to contention.
Ain’t going to happen. Beal is not going to play like a superstar.
 

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
20,315
Reaction score
11,394
Bol isn't really good battling other NBA centers. He's better on wings.

IMO, the opposite is true.

He cannot stay in front of anyone on the outside and very frequently gets lost on defense. His best ability is rim protection, put him near the rim.

On offense you reeeally don't want him to go on dribbling adventures, things get ugly when he tries to get slick.
 

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
17,374
Reaction score
12,554
Location
Tempe, AZ
According to Sam Quinn, at the moment, the Suns are in the fighting for a play-in group.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

I don't see how New Orleans and Memphis leapfrog us. New Orleans is taking a step back, IMO. Sure, they got Murray but they're moving Ingram and lost Jonas. Plus they lost Nance and Zion will miss a ton of games, per usual.

Memphis needs to prove they can stay healthy. They've lost a number of guys from the last playoff run they had.
 

Covert Rain

Father smelt of elderberries!
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Posts
36,518
Reaction score
15,603
Location
Arizona
IMO, the opposite is true.

He cannot stay in front of anyone on the outside and very frequently gets lost on defense. His best ability is rim protection, put him near the rim.

On offense you reeeally don't want him to go on dribbling adventures, things get ugly when he tries to get slick.
I am going to agree with you both. His problem is he is a tweener. He is too slow for many PFs but he gets pushed around by real centers because he isn’t very strong. I don’t think he ideal for either position. I think he is straight up a match up guy which makes it hard to play him sometimes.
 

Cheesebeef

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Posts
91,459
Reaction score
68,706
Ain’t going to happen. Beal is not going to play like a superstar.
That’s why I said it would be hard to imagine. Beal being a healthy superstar/KD being the same odds are minute to the point of absurdity.
 

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
20,315
Reaction score
11,394
I am going to agree with you both. His problem is he is a tweener. He is too slow for many PFs but he gets pushed around by real centers because he isn’t very strong. I don’t think he ideal for either position. I think he is straight up a match up guy which makes it hard to play him sometimes.
Fair, bigger players do bully him in the post, he's more of a help defender. But I think his biggest faults are his inability to keep guys in front of him or rotate on the outside and his really sloppy ball handling whenever he gets the urge to dribble.

His only plus outside of the post is that he can make threes, but he's really inconsistent and he needs to be in the right spots. Play him at the 4 and he will end up taking a lot of corner threes... and he's reeeeeally bad at corner threes. Meanwhile, he is flat out elite at inside scoring, despite his light weight.

This shot chart paints stark picture of his strength and weakness as a shooter.


Moral of the story, as a 4, the negatives vastly outweigh the positives. At the 5, he can do a lot of good, especially if you use him as a top of the arch shoot or roll player. He isn't a pick and roll guy because he doesn't set good picks. He isn't a physical player, this is a problem for him as a 4 or 5.

His biggest problem at the 5 is rebounding, he's real bad. He needs to play along side another guy who can crash the boards.

He's situational, he's a lot less likely to hurt you as a 4 than as a 5.
 

Proximo

ASFN Icon
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Posts
12,717
Reaction score
10,617
Hard to argue with that unless Bradley Beal somehow looks like All-NBA Bradley Beal and he and KD stays healthy all season.

Beal playing like a superstar is the only way this team rises into anything coming close to contention.
Call me crazy but I have more faith in Bol Bol raising his game than Beal.

Neither is likely to happen, but I like the chances for Bol much better.
 

Proximo

ASFN Icon
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Posts
12,717
Reaction score
10,617
I don't see how New Orleans and Memphis leapfrog us. New Orleans is taking a step back, IMO. Sure, they got Murray but they're moving Ingram and lost Jonas. Plus they lost Nance and Zion will miss a ton of games, per usual.

Memphis needs to prove they can stay healthy. They've lost a number of guys from the last playoff run they had.
It's called young players elevating their games wheras we are relying on old players to not regress.

I absolutely see New Orleans jumping us, Memphis I'm not sure but it is certainly possible.
 

JCSunsfan

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 24, 2002
Posts
22,114
Reaction score
6,547
Call me crazy but I have more faith in Bol Bol raising his game than Beal.

Neither is likely to happen, but I like the chances for Bol much better.
Of course. I agree that Bol has more of a chance of raising his game. The problem is that Beal will not and cannot and yet he will be the vet taking up the starters minutes, so there will be no getting around him.

Unless this gm gets a staring quality pg and the coach has the guts to bring Beal off the bench so that pg can start, this team will be extremely limited.

The only realistic path toward that goal to me would be trading Grayson Allen when he is eligible to be dealt for a pg.

I guess we could hope for a miracle and one of the free agent pg signings might turn into Jeremy Lin for a year or so.

I marvel how NBA people think that teams can function without point guards.
 

BirdGangThing

Cultist
Joined
Dec 27, 2019
Posts
15,843
Reaction score
21,699
Location
Arcadia
And are they written by people who were in a coma when KD bailed on Westbrook because he hated him?
i do remember when westbrook single handedly kicking our asses with kd and book praising his greatness afterward but i don't see westbrook coming here
 

Proximo

ASFN Icon
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Posts
12,717
Reaction score
10,617
Of course. I agree that Bol has more of a chance of raising his game. The problem is that Beal will not and cannot and yet he will be the vet taking up the starters minutes, so there will be no getting around him.

Unless this gm gets a staring quality pg and the coach has the guts to bring Beal off the bench so that pg can start, this team will be extremely limited.

The only realistic path toward that goal to me would be trading Grayson Allen when he is eligible to be dealt for a pg.

I guess we could hope for a miracle and one of the free agent pg signings might turn into Jeremy Lin for a year or so.

I marvel how NBA people think that teams can function without point guards.
Well needless to say, I don't agree.

85-90% of the teams in the NBA don't have a PG - including Boston the champs. That is not a necessity.
 

Covert Rain

Father smelt of elderberries!
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Posts
36,518
Reaction score
15,603
Location
Arizona
Well needless to say, I don't agree.

85-90% of the teams in the NBA don't have a PG - including Boston the champs. That is not a necessity.
Yeah, that's not true unless I am not understanding who you consider a PG. I don't think people mean TRUE PURE PG in the traditional sense. I think people mean someone who can play the position, handle the ball effectively and be the guy setting things up.

Boston was the best team in the NBA with turnovers. Phoenix? #25. The guys that "played that role" for us last year were turnover machines. The guys we drafted and brought in may not fill that role or maybe they will. However, yes we need a "PG" or our turnover situation will not improve. Have no clue if that person is on the team now or not but I would like to see us pick up another.
 

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
118,101
Reaction score
58,435
Well, we can take Moe Wagner off the Suns wishlist.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media
 

Proximo

ASFN Icon
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Posts
12,717
Reaction score
10,617
Yeah, that's not true unless I am not understanding who you consider a PG. I don't think people mean TRUE PURE PG in the traditional sense. I think people mean someone who can play the position, handle the ball effectively and be the guy setting things up.

Boston was the best team in the NBA with turnovers. Phoenix? #25. The guys that "played that role" for us last year were turnover machines. The guys we drafted and brought in may not fill that role or maybe they will. However, yes we need a "PG" or our turnover situation will not improve. Have no clue if that person is on the team now or not but I would like to see us pick up another.
Yes Boston has 4 to 5 guys that can handle the ball and start the offense at all times. That is modern basketball. No one guy is responsible for running the offense. That is what I mean 85-90% don't have a point guard.
 

Proximo

ASFN Icon
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Posts
12,717
Reaction score
10,617
Well, we can take Moe Wagner off the Suns wishlist.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media
All we have is the minimum. He was never on our list, neither was the 100 other dudes twitter fantasized about.

We get broken down has beens like Monte Morris and Miles Plumlee - because that is all you can get with the minimum salary - or some street free agent who has never had any success in the NBA.

As long as we have those 3 monster salaries and the second apron exists this team will not have good depth.
 

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
118,101
Reaction score
58,435
All we have is the minimum. He was never on our list, neither was the 100 other dudes twitter fantasized about.

We get broken down has beens like Monte Morris and Miles Plumlee - because that is all you can get with the minimum salary - or some street free agent who has never had any success in the NBA.

As long as we have those 3 monster salaries and the second apron exists this team will not have good depth.

I like Monte Morris. Hopefully he returns to the Denver version.

IMO, the Suns need to add another center or 4/5 as insurance for Nurkic and Plumlee.
 

JCSunsfan

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 24, 2002
Posts
22,114
Reaction score
6,547
Ok. I think that is it. Monte Morris was probably down the list of options, but they got someone.
 

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
118,101
Reaction score
58,435
What do you think Oso is?

You don't carry 4 centers, that position is not that important.

I think Oso is a rookie and a power forward. The Suns need to contend now. I don't like the idea of relying on rookies.
 

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
118,101
Reaction score
58,435
This is what the Suns roster could look like, but it is not written in stone and may change.

1. Kevin Durant
2. Bradley Beal
3. Devin Booker
4. Jusuf Nurkic
5. Grayson Allen
6. Royce O'Neale
7. Nassir Little
8. Bol Bol
9. David Roddy
10. Josh Okogie
11. Damion Lee
12. Ryan Dunn
13. Oso Ighodaro
14. Mason Plumlee
15. Monte Morris


Two Way Contracts:

1. Jalen Bridges
2. Collin Gillespie
 
Top